The present invention relates to producing three-dimensional objects from deformable material.
Techniques for producing three-dimensional objects from deformable material are known. Moulding processes are known in which deformable material in liquid form is applied to a mould and allowed to set. The object must then be removed from the mould for subsequent processing to be performed. Consequently, moulding of this type is essentially a batch process requiring a finite time for the operations to be completed. Moulding tends to be performed as a separate process with moulded objects being held temporarily in storage or transported from one location to another.
An alternative technique for producing three-dimensional objects is extrusion. Extrusion allows objects to be produced in a substantially continuous manner and facilitates the production of objects at locations where they are required. However, a problem with known extrusion techniques is that the extent to which shapes may be changed is somewhat limited, given that the extrusion process produces three-dimensional objects of constant cross section.